"The
feeling
Stevie Nicks
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THE
CLASSIC CAT
ON THE STRIP
Located at 8844 Sunset Boulevard
in the heart of the Strip, The Classic Cat was
the
largest, most luxurious topless club of them all.
The dancers and the cocktail waitresses were the
most beautiful girls in Hollywood. It was packed
almost every night of the week with tourists and
locals including many celebrities.
The club was owned by
Alan Wells, who had been an actor around
Hollywood in his earlier days. I found a list of his movies on the
net and you can check them out here: Alan
Wells Movies
My sister and I
remember an oriental man named Henry who
was the manager in the late sixties, maybe early seventies.
A man called "Pucci" managed the club later in the seventies.
I remember a doorman named Jay York who was a famous wrestler
(The Alaskan) in those days; and the Bracci brothers,
Kenny and David, tended bar.
When you pulled your car up under the large carport at the front
entrance, you were greeted by the valet parking attendants.
I remember once when I was walking up to the front door,
Don Knotts and a date were getting out of his Mustang.
Some of the other celebrities that were seen there were:
James Arnez, Evel Knevel, Adam West, Bob Crane, Robert Conrad,
Richard Deacon ("Mel" from the Dick Van Dyke Show,)
Louis Nye, Charleston Heston, Jim Morrison, Doug McClure,
Lana Turner, Dennis Cole, Chevy Chase, Steve Jaffe, Leslie West
(Mountain) Dino Valenti, "Jethro" from The Beverly Hillbillies,
and
Stan Freberg who produced many famous commercials in those days,
such as the
famous shaving commercial--"Take it off, take it all off,"
These are people that I know personally were there, but there were many
other
famous people known to have been seen there.
The Classic Cat
brochure boasts of an "all-star
Vegas review." Raul lead the show with a band
called the Revelations backing him up. The band
featured Lacy Jones-- vocalist and guitarist.
I drew a freehand map
recently and it's not very good, but the
production company making the up-and-coming Bob Crane movie called "Autofocus"--due
for release in the fall of 2002, contacted me for as much information that I
could possibly give them on the Classic Cat for the movie. Since Bob Crane
(Hogan's Heroes) was often seen in the Classic Cat, they are creating scenes to
that effect. I sent them many of the photos that you see above and this crude
map shown below of the interior of the Classic Cat.
If you have any photos or information on the people
that were part of the Classic Cat, please contact me.